Virtual platform for recording and displaying responses and reactions to audiovisual contents

ABSTRACT

A method and a system for receiving a user&#39;s selection of a content, retrieving data about the content, tracking content consumption, launching a reactive module based on input from the user, registering a timestamped response of the user, the response comprising a graphic symbol is provided. The method may be further comprise receiving content-retrieving information from a second user, searching contents to identify a candidate for the second user&#39;s consumption, receiving a selection of a content from the candidate, tracking a position of the content that is selected and being consumed by the second user, launching the reactive module on a second client device based on input from the second user. The virtual platform provides an electronic venue of dynamic communications for content consumers, where users experience pseudo-realtime interactions by seeing the virtual platform&#39;s reconstruction of other users&#39; responses that shows reacting users&#39; emotional status.

BACKGROUND

In today's interconnected environment, anyone who has a cable, a TV,internet, a mobile phone, tablets, or a smart watch, can enjoy viewingmedia contents or playing games in any place of choice, at any moment.The content consumption enjoys a far greater choice than before andaccommodates each user's wish to experience in different devices, and byany convenient method. Ironically, the individualized contentconsumption has created a single-user experience, detached from othermembers of a community.

Also, public health emergencies like novel coronavirus pandemic haveforced public venues to shut down. Theater lovers, sport fans, musicfans, and the like, miss togetherness that they used to feel in indoorpublic facilities. Friends and family members desire to share excitingmoments together even if they are separated from each other. There is aneed for a system to connect those who are spatially and temporallydistanced and establish their synchronized interactions at an emotionallevel.

Along with the diversification of content consumption modalities asdescribed above, computer-mediated communications have provided tools todevelop social interactions among users. Recently, forums such asInstagram have emerged to realize real-time inter-consumer connections.Social Media Platform (SMP) and Social Networking Site (SNS) provide avirtual platform for contemporaneous communication among users. However,no previously known system has offered a virtual platform for sharingpseudo-synchronized experiences at an emotional level when usersindependently consume a content in different locations or at differenttimes. Additionally, no previous system has offered an online reactivemodule optimized for instantaneous emotional interactions.

DESCRIPTION

The disclosure of the instant application relates to a virtual platformfor recording and displaying users' responses and reactions. Moreparticularly, the instant disclosure relates to a system, a method, anda non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions, for searching a content, for providinga platform, users of which virtually exchange reactions to a content asif they were consuming the content at the same time and as if they wereinteracting with each other. The virtual platform records users'comments and graphic symbols, including the user's emotional reactionsand presents users' responses in accordance with users' exposure to thecontent as well as user characteristics. The virtual platform users feelthe sense of closeness through mutual emotional expressions andpseudo-synchronized interactions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

SMP was born as a bulletin board system in 1978. Changes and innovationshave been made to fill the need for a more inclusive platform andimproved user experience. YouTube® was created in 2005 when there was noservice for easy uploading and sharing of videos. Instagram® emerged in2010 to let users share photos in as simplified a manner as a click ofkeys. These SMPs have been a potent communication and advertisement toolfor reaching target audiences in an efficient way. Finally, SNS wasintroduced around 2003. SNS facilitated user-to-user interactions, andchanged basic methods of communication.

Typical services offered by SMP or SNS have several limitations whichcreate constraints and ineffectiveness to users. For example, as abusiness, SMP and SNS make profits by charging fees on subscribers' useof communications: the selected channel of communication; the placementof advertisement; the increased visibility of a message, etc. Thus,electronic communications are sold at the price decided by platforms,and the distribution of information is set by a sender of a message inmost cases. Apart from direct messaging, communications are largelydefined by a sender, a content provider, an advertiser, and not byrecipients. Content consumers often lack modes of communication toexpress their response to the content.

In addition, a typical SMP platform does not allow viewers to post acomment in a timestamped manner, by selecting a particular point of acontent. Thus, even if a content consumer can leave a response, itsconnection to the moment of excitement is lost. Other users find itdifficult to relate to the response because the response is detachedfrom the context of content consumption. The effectiveness ofcommunication is greatly diminished.

Another related limitation is SMP's failure to synchronize thepresentation of other consumers' responses with a user's contentconsumption. On SMP, a content consumer cannot interact with anotherconsumer unless a content is viewed simultaneously, and users reactsimultaneously. When a content is consumed by users at different times,sense of interconnection is lost. There is a need for a platform thatachieves a virtually reciprocal electronic communication among distancedusers.

Further, features available at existing platforms are not yet to realizecommunications about feelings, or physical and psychological statuses ofcontent consumers. In contrast to face-to-face conversation, sensoryinformation is not relayed by electronic communications. As a way torealize an engaging dialogue, effective emotional bonding is desired,but currently missing.

As such, current SMPs and SNSs fail to achieve multidirectional,dynamic, engaging electronic communications among content consumers.There is a need for a communication platform that delivers apseudo-synchronized content experience and allows users to interactemotionally through dynamic conversations with other users.

SUMMARY

The virtual platform disclosed in the present application obviates theabove-mentioned disadvantages by providing a virtual platform thatimplements a method of recording and displaying a user's response to acontent in a pseudo-synchronized manner. The virtual platform describedherein opens an electronic venue of dynamic communications for contentconsumers, unconstrained by the spatial or temporal distance among them.

According to one aspect of the disclosed technology, a method isprovided for receiving a user's selection of a content, retrieving dataabout the content from the database, tracking a position of a contentbeing consumed by the user, launching a reactive module of the virtualplatform on a client device, based on input from the user, registering atimestamped response of the user, the response comprising a graphicsymbol.

The method may include receiving content-retrieving information from asecond user, searching contents in the database to identify a candidatefor the second user's consumption based on the content-retrievinginformation, receiving from the second user, a selection of a contentfrom the candidate, tracking a position of the content that is selectedand being consumed by the second user, launching the reactive module ona second client device based on input from the second user. The methodmay further include determining when and how to display one or morecomponents of the response in the reactive module of the second clientdevice, when the content selected and consumed by the user is identicalto the content selected and consumed by the second user, when the seconduser's content consumption occurs asynchronously from the user's contentconsumption, and when the reactive module of the second client device issynchronized with the second user's content consumption. The method mayinclude providing the user with an input modality for creating theresponse, when the graphic symbol indicates the user's emotionalreaction at a position of the content at which the user reacted.

At another aspect of the disclosed technology, a system comprising aclient device and a virtual platform, is disclosed. The processor of thevirtual platform is configured to: receive a user's selection of acontent; retrieve data about the content from the database; track aposition of the content that is being consumed by the user; launch areactive module on the client device based on input from the user; andregister a response of the user to the content, when the responsecomprises a graphic symbol. The processor may be further configured toreceive content-retrieving information from a second user, searchcontents in the database to identify a candidate for the second user'sconsumption based on the content-retrieving information, receive fromthe second user, a selection of a content from the candidate, track aposition of the content that is selected and being consumed by thesecond user, launch the reactive module on a second client device basedon input from the second user.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, anon-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions that cause a processor of a virtualplatform to implement a method for recording and displaying a userresponse to a content, is disclosed. The method executed by thenon-transitory computer-readable medium comprises receiving a user'sselection of a content, retrieving data about the content from thedatabase, tracking a position of a content being consumed by the user,launching a reactive module of the virtual platform on a client device,based on input from the user, registering a timestamped response of theuser, the response comprising a graphic symbol.

The method may include receiving content-retrieving information from asecond user, searching the database to identify a candidate for thesecond user's consumption based on the content-retrieving information,receiving from the second user, a selection of a content from thecandidate, tracking a position of the content that is selected and beingconsumed by the second user, launching the reactive module on a secondclient device based on input from the second user. The method mayfurther include determining when and how to display one or morecomponents of the response in the reactive module of the second clientdevice, when the content selected and consumed by the user is identicalto the content selected and consumed by the second user, when the seconduser's content consumption occurs asynchronously from the user's contentconsumption, and when the reactive module of the second client device issynchronized with the second user's content consumption.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and a better understanding of the instant disclosure willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of exampleembodiments and the claims when read in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, all forming a part of the disclosure of this invention. Whilethe foregoing and following written and illustrated disclosure focuseson disclosing example embodiments of the invention, it should be clearlyunderstood that the same is by way of illustration and example only andthe invention is not limited thereto, wherein in the following briefdescription of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of one preferred embodiment. A client device110 communicates with a virtual platform 120 and a content server 130,and with a display device 140. A display device 140 is optionallycoupled with the client device 110. In this embodiment, the displaydevice 140 receives a content from a content server 130. Contentconsumption at the display device 140 is tracked by the virtual platform120 and reflected to operations at the client device 110.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the virtualplatform 220 that can be implemented when the users, located remotelyfrom each other, access an identical content. The users' contentconsumption may take place at different times. Client devices (210 a,210 b, 210 c, 210 d, 210 e) may be coupled with each other, or with adisplay device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer to be implementedwithin one or more embodiments of the virtual platform 310 employingprocessors 320, ROM 340, RAM 330, an interface 360, adapters 370, aserver 380, and a storage 390. A client device 350 is in datacommunication with the virtual platform 310.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for registering a user'sresponse to a content.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a method for searching a content inthe database, tracking a position of the content, and launching areactive module, based on input from a second user.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustration of a method for providing an inputmodality, receiving from the second user a selection of a content,tracking a position of the content being consumed, and launching areactive module.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustration of a method for determining whetheror not to display one or more components of the response.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustration of a method for establishing datacommunication between the virtual platform and the client device and thesecond client device and displaying one or more components of theresponse in the reactive module.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the following methods: a method fordetermining when and how to display one or more components of theresponse; a method for providing an input modality; and a method fordetermining how to display the one or more components of the response,registering the response made by the second user, and attaching atimestamp to the response of the second user.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustration of the following methods: a methodfor determining whether or not to display one or more components of theresponse of the second user; a method for displaying one or morecomponents of the response of the second user in the client device andthe second client device; and a method for displaying the graphic symbolmore conspicuously to the second user.

FIG. 11 is a screenshot of the second client device 1110. In thisexample, the virtual platform's reactive module 1120 is launched on amobile phone 1110.

FIG. 12 is a screenshot of a client device 1210. In this example, thevirtual platform's reactive module 1220 is launched on a mobile phone1210.

FIG. 13 is a screenshot of a screen of a client device 1310. In thisexample, a user started creating a response by clicking a box 1340.

FIG. 14 is a screenshot of a screen of a client device 1410 after a userselects to create a response. In this example, a response input unit1430 is shown on the right-hand side of the window, including a responsemaker 1470 and an emoji table 1480. The emoji table is used to offer acandidate emoji to the user. Alternatively, an emoji creator may beselected to produce a personalized emoji.

FIG. 15 is a screenshot of a screen of a client device 1510 when a userselected an emoji creator 1590 instead of an emoji table. The user candraw a free-style emoji.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of various embodiments of the instant disclosure. It willbe apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of thepresent disclosure may be practiced without some of these specificdetails. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shownin block diagram form.

Specific details are given in the following description to provide athorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will beunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments maybe practiced without these specific details. For example, systems,networks, processes, and other components may be shown as components inblock diagram form in order not to obscure the embodiments inunnecessary detail.

Also, it is noted that individual embodiments may be described as aprocess which is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a data flowdiagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchartmay describe the operations as a sequential process, many of theoperations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition,the order of the operations may be re-arranged. Each block of theflowchart can be implemented, for example, by computer readable programinstructions, as well as combinations of blocks can be implemented. Morethan one methods may be shown in one flowchart. A process is terminatedwhen its operations are completed but could have additional steps notincluded in a figure. A process may correspond to a method, a function,a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process correspondsto a function, its termination can correspond to a return of thefunction to the calling function or the main function.

Furthermore, embodiments may be implemented by hardware, software,firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or anycombination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middlewareor microcode, the program code or code segments to perform the necessarytasks may be stored in a machine-readable medium. A processor(s) mayperform the necessary tasks.

In this disclosure, terms “register” and “record” are interchangeablyused to mean any storing, retention, or registration of a user's input,data, mathematical formulae, products of computation, and the like,using a suitable medium for such purpose.

Terms “display” and “play” are interchangeably used to mean apresentation of an audiovisual content, signal, or data. Terms “show”and “present” are interchangeably used to mean a presentation of data,information, a status, and the like. Terms “provide,” “furnish,” and“offer” may also mean a presentation of data, information, a status, andthe like, or furnishment, transmission, or performance of a function, anoption, a process, a method, a system, an object, or a content.

The instant disclosure as will be described in greater detail belowprovides (1) a method of recording and displaying a user's response to acontent, (2) a system of recording and displaying a user's response to acontent, and (3) a non-transitory computer-readable medium containingcomputer-executable instructions that cause a processor of the virtualplatform to record and display a user's response to a content. Thepresent disclosure provides various embodiments as described below.However, it should be noted that the present disclosure is not limitedto the embodiments described herein, but could extend to otherembodiments as would be known or as would become known to those skilledin the art.

In preferred embodiments of the instant disclosure, the virtual platformcomprises a processor and a database. In the alternative, the virtualplatform further comprises a content server. In another example, thevirtual platform further comprises another server, an interface, and astorage.

Using the virtual platform 120, a user can consume a content in at leasta few different ways. As an exemplary embodiment, a client device 110receives a content from a third-party content provider. The user maysubscribe to traditional broadcasting services such as cable, or tointernet-based content providers such as YouTube. After or before a usersigns into the virtual platform 120, the user may providecontent-retrieving information, and the virtual platform 120 may searchits database to identify a candidate for the user's content consumption.Alternatively, the user may search available materials from a listsupplied by in the database by a title or a genre of contents. Thevirtual platform 120 may establish data communication via acommunication network with a content server 130 controlled by thecontent provider, in addition to a communication network with the clientdevice 110. Further, the virtual platform may establish access of theclient device 110 to a content, offered by the content provider.

As an alternative embodiment, the client device 110 receives a contentdirectly from the virtual platform 120. A content may be stored at anddelivered from a storage 390 of the virtual platform 310, or a contentserver 380 of the virtual platform 310. In that circumstance, thevirtual platform 310 may establish data communication via acommunication network with a communication interface of a client device350.

Examples of the client device 350 include a mobile phone or asmartphone, a personal computer or a laptop, a personal digitalassistant (PDA) or a tablet, a smart watch, an entertainment center of avehicle, a mobile theater, and other smart devices. The presentdisclosure is not limited to any particular type of client device 350,and may vary accordingly.

The virtual platform 220 may establish data communication via acommunication network with more than one client devices 210 a, 210 b,210 c, 210 d, 210 e. A content may be provided from a content server 230of a third-party content provider. Alternatively, a server or a storageof the virtual platform 220 may furnish contents to client devices 210a, 210 b, 210 c, 210 d, 210 e.

Communication networks include a wired or wireless network for datacommunication. The data communication may be achieved by using webservices technology, for example, Web services Description Language(WSDL). The communication networks may include any subsystem forexchanging data such as the Internet, intranet, extranet, wide areanetwork (WAN), local area network (LAN), Restful web services,JAVAScript Object Notation (JSON), Extensible Mark-up Language(XML)-based communication network, Simple Object Access Protocol(SOAP)-based Services and satellite communication network. Further, thecommunication networks can be other types of networks such asinteractive television (ITV). Wireless networks including LTE, 3G, 4G,5G, and 6G are compatible with the present disclosure. According to oneor more embodiments, the communication networks may be the same ordifferent types of networks. A network connection may be established fora variety of services as broadband Internet connectivity and Voice overInternet Protocol (VoIP) telephony services.

As one exemplary embodiment, a content search may be conducted based ona user's input of a year of release into a user interface of the clientdevice 110. The virtual platform may screen contents registered in itsdatabase for a matching entry. Upon identifying contents that match theinput information, the virtual platform 120 may provide the user with acandidate(s). Additional information about the candidate such as alanguage spoken in the candidate or its total duration may be includedto assist the user's selection.

When the user selects a content from the candidate, the virtual platform120 receives the user's selection, and retrieves information about theselected content. The virtual platform 120 tracks a position of thecontent that is being consumed by the user. In one or more embodiments,the content is consumed at a display device 140, and the virtualplatform 120 will establish data communication with the content server130. Thus, the content being consumed by the user is tracked by thevirtual platform 120 and synchronized with data processing at the clientdevice 110.

In a preferred embodiment, a content is supplied through I/O adapter370. According to such embodiment, a content is offered through acontent player, a component of the virtual platform. And datatransmission to the content player is synchronized with data processingat a client device 350.

According to some embodiments, a reactive module of the virtual platformmay be launched manually, or automatically based on information input bythe user. As a content is being consumed on the client device 350, thevirtual platform 310 retrieves previously registered data about thecontent, including previous user responses. Such data may come from astorage 390 or an ROM 340.

A user response may be timestamped according to a particular point of acontent to which the user reacted. The reactive module reconstructsprevious responses to display them when the user's content consumptionreaches the point to which previous users reacted.

In one embodiment, the reactive module 1120 shows a title 1115 of acontent being consumed, as well as a position of a content beingconsumed on a time bar 1150. Above the time bar 1150, graphic symbols(emojis) 1125 may be shown in locations which their timestampscorrespond to.

In some embodiments, the reactive module 1120 will display only graphicsymbols 1125 whose timestamps are close to the point of the user'scontent consumption above the time bar 1150 as default. In someembodiments, the user may disconnect the reactive module 1120 from theuser's content consumption and de-synchronize the display. In suchembodiments, the user may pause the tracking of content consumption andmove a pointer on the time bar 1150 to see graphic symbols whosetimestamps are close to the pointer.

In preferred embodiments, the reactive module 1120 shows previouslyentered comments whose timestamps are up until the position of theuser's content consumption. In some embodiments, a comment made byanother user appears when the user's content consumption reaches thecomment's timestamp, then stays for a few minutes from the timestamp,and disappears as the user further consumes the content.

In other embodiments, the user can turn off the display of verbalcomments by selecting “CLOSE CONVERSATION” 1135. In such embodiments,graphic symbols 1125 of other users' responses are displayed.

FIG. 11 is a screenshot of a screen of a client device 1110 which showsprevious user responses, in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent disclosure. In this example, a reactive module 1120 is launchedand appears in a lower part of the client device 1110. The user iswatching “The Warriors” on a display device, for example, television. Atitle of the content 1115, a time bar 1150, and graphic symbols 1125 maybe displayed on the reactive module 1120. The user can read other users'comments (“You could see there was text coming out of her eyes, textcoming out of her wherever”) and see usernames 1130 and timestamps 1140above the comments.

In one embodiment, a user may start creating a response to a content bysimply selecting one of the emojis listed on the bottom of the screen1145 when the selected emoji represents the user's emotion. The reactivemodule 1120 may open a response maker for the user's input of a verbalcomment.

FIG. 12 is a screenshot of a screen of a client device 1210 (ex. asmartphone). In accordance with several embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the reactive module 1220 is launched on the client device1210. A user is making a response to the content “Warrior” 1215. Theuser is typing a verbal comment 1230 using a response input unit, i.e.,keyboard, 1250 on the client device.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a user whointends to leave a response to a content can launch a response inputunit 1330 of the reactive module 1335, by clicking an icon 1340 shown ona screen of the client device.

In FIG. 13 , the reactive module 1335 is running on the same window witha content player 1350. Alternatively, the virtual platform does notinclude a content player 1350, and a content can be consumed on adisplay device. In some embodiments, the client device 1310 may launchthe reactive module 1335 and a content player 1350 in separate windows.The timestamp 1370 indicates a position of the content that the user isreacting to. The position of the content is also shown 1360 on a timebar 1320 of the content player 1350.

Still at FIG. 13 , previous user responses are shown 1390 in thereactive module 1335. According to some embodiments of the presentdisclosure, a filtering function is available upon selection of “Filter”1395. After filtering is applied, the reactive module 1335 may displayonly responses that meet criteria as set by the user. In suchembodiments, the user can select multiple factors, including anotheruser's location, a date of a response, and relationships of the userwith other users.

The response input unit 1330 may show various input modalities 1380 asoptions, and a user can choose one or more of the modalities based onwhat components to include in a response and how to make a response. Aresponse maker is shown as one of modalities 1380 in the response inputunit.

As one representative implementation, a user of the virtual platform mayexport responses displayed in the reactive module 1335 to any externalmedium by clicking a “Share” button 1345 on a screen of the clientdevice 1310.

In FIG. 14 , the response input unit 1430 offers a response maker 1470for making a verbal comment and an emoji table 1480 for selecting agraphic symbol. A user may leave a verbal comment by typing in a fieldbelow “Response Maker.” Any available and suitable user interface may beused as a medium for entering a verbal comment and/or a graphic symbol,including an I/O interface of the virtual platform, a user interface ofa client device, a speech recognition software.

Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure include a virtualplatform having a processor configured to provide a user with a table ora list of graphic symbols 1480 and register the user's selection.Alternatively, a user can click “Create My Emoji” button 1490 to createan original graphic symbol.

The graphic symbol may indicate the user's status such as phycologicalor physiological statuses, emotions, and sentiments, as associated withthe user's content consumption. An emoji is a mark or one type ofgraphic symbol that expresses one's feelings in an abstractive manner.The response input unit 1430 can include an emoji table 1480 as adefault.

For example, if the user finds the content funny, an emoji depictinglaughter of various degrees may be chosen. In some embodiments, agraphic symbol may indicate demographics of the user. In a table 1480,dynamic images, 3D images, marks, and symbols for popular groups/bandsmay be included. In preferred embodiments, the virtual platform attachesa timestamp to each component of the user's response, including agraphic symbol.

When the emoji creator 1490 is selected as an input modality of theresponse input unit 1430, a user interface for drawing an emoji islaunched 1590, as shown in FIG. 15 . Premade shapes & parts may bepresented to the user, as well as decorative elements, dynamic effects,3D symbols, animated symbols, or color variations. The emoji creator1590 may save created emojis at the database, which the user mayretrieve for future use.

In one exemplary embodiment, the virtual platform 310 may be implementedwith a first processor 320 and a second processor 320. The firstprocessor 320 tracks a position of a content being consumed by a user.The second processor 320 may retrieve information about previous userresponses to the content and reconstruct and display responses as theuser's content consumption progresses.

According to several embodiments of the present disclosure, the firstprocessor 320 may receive a command to record a response, in which casethe first processor 320 will initiate the response input unit andpresent input modalities that the user can use. The virtual platform mayinclude a user communication interface 360, a CPU 320, a RAM 330, a ROM340, an I/O adapter 370, a server 380, and a storage 390.

The virtual platform of the present disclosure can offer virtuallysynchronized experiences to users in multimedia settings. As illustratedin FIG. 2 , FIG. 11 , and FIG. 12 , the virtual platform deliversreal-time-like interactive environment by displaying a response ofanother user when the user's content consumption reaches a point atwhich the response was originally made. This feature of the virtualplatform is realized through tracking of the user's content consumption.

In some embodiments, the virtual platform establishes data communicationvia a communication network with a communication interface of one ormore client devices (for example, client devices 210 a, 210 b, 210 c,210 d, and 210 e). The client devices' access to a content can beestablished by the virtual platform according to embodiments of thepresent disclosure. Optionally, the reactive module 1220 isautomatically launched in each client device. In certain embodiments,the virtual platform launches the reactive module 1220 after it confirmsthat a user has consumed a content before.

According to one embodiment, a user using a first client device (210 a)in Los Angeles may consume a content first, and other users may consumethe content later in various other locations. The other users usingother client devices (210 b, 210 c, 210 d, 210 e) can see in thereactive module (1220 in FIG. 12, 1390 in FIG. 13 ) how the user hascommented on the content, at a position of the content at which the userreacted. The reactive module may alter presentation of a graphic symboland/or a verbal comment of the user in accordance with progress of thewatching user's content consumption in relation to the timestampassociated with the user's response. According to a preferredembodiment, representative graphic symbols (1125 in FIG. 11 ) may beshown in the proximity of a time bar 1150 on other client devices.

In a preferred embodiment, one or more components of the user's responseappear in the foreground of the reactive module when the watching user'scontent consumption reaches a position of the content corresponding tothe timestamp of the user's response. For example, the user's verbalcomment may appear for three minutes from a position of the contentcorresponding to the timestamp of the user's response.

Yet in another embodiment, one or more components of the user's responseare displayed conspicuously when the user reaches a position of thecontent corresponding to the timestamp of the user's response. Thereactive module may enlarge, flicker, or pulse a graphic symbol as thecontent consumption passes its timestamp.

Using the reactive module of the virtual platform, the user may createand register a response to the same position of the content that anotheruser registered a response at. Thus, the reactive module may display theuser's response as if it were interacting with another user's response.

The processor of the virtual platform may provide a list of graphicsymbols 1480 or provide an input modality for free-style creation of agraphic symbol 1490. According to several embodiments of the presentdisclosure, the responses made by the other users are registered with atimestamp. Responses with a same timestamp are displayed in the samelocation in relation to a time bar as shown in FIG. 11 .

At another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure concern methodsfor recording and displaying a user response to a content, including:receiving a user's selection of a content; retrieving data about thecontent; tracking a position of the content that is being consumed bythe user; launching a reactive module of the virtual platform on aclient device based on input from the user; and registering a responseof the user to the content, the reactive module of the client devicebeing synchronized with the user's content consumption, with a timestampattached to the response to indicate a position of the content at whichthe user reacted. The user's response may include a verbal comment and agraphic symbol.

Although the reactive module may be automatically launched, embodimentsare not limited to such implementations. Also, one or more modulesincluding the reactive module of the virtual platform may be configuredto display the response of the user.

In a preferred embodiment, the graphic symbol indicates a status of theuser at the entry of the user's response. The status of the user caninclude the user's emotional reaction at the position of the content,but any user characteristics may be represented.

Further, the method may comprise receiving content-retrievinginformation from a second user and searching contents in the database toidentify a candidate for the second user's consumption based on thecontent-retrieving information. The content-retrieving information mayinclude a title, a year of release, a producer, a keyword, and the like.

The method may include receiving from the second user, a selection of acontent from the candidate, tracking a position of the content beingconsumed by the second user. The method may also include launching thereactive module on a second client device based on input from the seconduser wherein the content selected and consumed by the user is identicalto the content selected and consumed by the second user. The method maycomprise determining when and how to display one or more components ofthe response in the reactive module of the second client device, whenthe second user's content consumption occurs asynchronously from theuser's content consumption, and the reactive module of the second clientdevice is synchronized with the second user's content consumption. Theone or more components of the response is optionally displayed togetherwith the timestamp. According to a preferred embodiment, the methodincludes providing the user with an input modality for creating theresponse, when the graphic symbol indicates the user's emotionalreaction at a position of the content at which the user reacted.

Further, the input modality may provide the user with one or moregraphic symbols to choose from. The graphic symbol optionally includesan emoji.

As one embodiment, the method comprises: determining whether or not todisplay one or more components of the response in the reactive module onthe second client device, wherein the response comprises a verbalcomponent, and the reactive module of the second client device issynchronized with the second user's content consumption. For example,the reactive module may be launched, and one or more graphic symbols mayappear on a screen of the second client device if the second user hasconsumed the content before. Alternatively, the reactive module may belaunched, and previous graphic symbols may appear on a screen if thesecond user choses to launch the reactive module.

The method may also include: establishing data communication via acommunication network between the virtual platform and a communicationinterface of the client device; establishing data communication via acommunication network between the virtual platform and a communicationinterface of the second client device; and displaying the one or morecomponents of the response in the reactive module of the second clientdevice when progress of the second user's content consumption inrelation to the timestamp of the response determines when to display theone or more components of the response, and the graphic symbol isdisplayed to the second user in one or more modules of the virtualplatform including the reactive module.

As one representative embodiment, the method may further include:determining how to display the one or more components of the response inthe reactive module based on input from the second user and progress ofthe second user's content consumption in relation to the timestamp ofthe response; registering the response of the second user to thecontent; and attaching a second timestamp to the response of the seconduser to indicate a position of the content at which the second userreacted, when the response of the second user comprises a second graphicsymbol.

According to some embodiments, the method may include determiningwhether or not to display one or more components of the response of thesecond user in the reactive module. The method may also comprisedisplaying one or more components of the response of the second user inthe reactive module of the second client device and the client device,when the timestamp and the second timestamp decide how to display theone or more components of the user's response and the one or morecomponents of the second user's response. The method may in certainimplementations, comprise displaying the graphic symbol moreconspicuously to the second user, when the second graphic symbolindicates an emotional reaction equal to an emotional reaction indicatedby the graphic symbol. For example, the graphic symbol may be enlargedin size in the reactive module.

At yet another aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure concern anon-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions to cause a processor of a virtualplatform to implement a method for recording and displaying a user'sresponse to a content. The methods that are executed by the processorare identical or similar to the methods described in precedingparagraphs.

The virtual platform permits users' lively theater-like experience byexposing them to other users' reactions to a content, by implementingtracking of the user's content consumption, timestamping, andregistration and reconstruction of previous responses accustomed to thedegree of the user's exposure to a content. A response is timestamped toa particular point of a content and stored as a string of data in adatabase. Unlike existing platforms, the instant disclosure registersand reconstructs previous user responses in a way that createspseudo-real-time reactions on the virtual platform where users engage indynamic communications with others while being separated in time andlocation.

According to another aspect of preferred embodiments, the virtualplatform employs a pseudo-synchronized display that schedules responsesto appear and/or be spotlighted, at a point of a content at which theresponses were originally made. Therefore, whether users watch a moviein remote locations or on multiple instances, users see other users'responses as if they were being made concurrently. Users can enjoyconstructed emotional connections with each other and feel a sense ofunity.

In addition, the virtual platform provides a medium for an animateduser-to-user conversation and facilitates inspiring reactions amongcontent consumers. The reactive module may start a response input unit,in which a graphic symbol is either created or selected. In oneembodiment, an emoji is registered as a status of a user in relation tothe user's response.

I claim:
 1. A method for providing a virtual platform with a databasefor recording and displaying users' responses to audiovisual contents,comprising: receiving a selection of a content; retrieving data aboutthe content from the database; tracking a position of the content thatis being provided to a user of a client device; launching a reactivemodule of the virtual platform on the client device, the reactive modulebeing comprised of a response display unit that playbacks responses ofother users and a response input unit that receives a response to thecontent; receiving an input from the client device and determining basedon the input whether the response display unit should be visible orinvisible to the user of the client device; opening the response inputunit on the client device when the response starts to be created;registering the response in the database; receiving content-retrievinginformation from a second client device; searching contents in thedatabase to identify a candidate to be provided to the second clientdevice based on the content-retrieving information; receiving from thesecond client device, a selection of a second content from thecandidate; tracking a position of the second content that is beingprovided on the second client device; launching the reactive module onthe second client device; receiving a second input from the secondclient device and determining whether the response display unit shouldbe visible or invisible while the second content is being provided;determining when and how to display one or more components of theresponse on the second client device; determining how to display the oneor more components of the response in the reactive module of the secondclient device based on the second input onto the second client deviceand progress of provision of the second content in relation to thetimestamp of the response; registering a second response to the secondcontent in the database as received from the second client device;attaching a second timestamp to the second response to indicate aposition of the second content at which the second response wasreceived; determining whether or not to stop displaying one or morecomponents of the second response in the reactive module of the secondclient device based on the second input, changing a graphic symbol to amore conspicuous form on the second device as a result of registrationof the second response, wherein the content is identical to the secondcontent, wherein the response comprises the graphic symbol, wherein thesecond response comprises a second graphic symbol, and the secondgraphic symbol indicates an emotional reaction equal to an emotionalreaction indicated by the graphic symbol, wherein a timestamp isattached to the response to indicate a position of the content at whichthe user of the client device reacted, wherein the response display unitis visible on the second client device based on the second input,wherein the second content is provided asynchronously from the content,wherein the reactive module of the second client device is synchronizedwith provision of the second content, wherein the timestamp and thesecond timestamp decide how to display the one or more components of theresponse and the one or more components of the second response andwherein the graphic symbol indicates emotional reaction at a position ofthe content at which the user of the client device reacted.
 2. A systemfor recording and displaying users' responses to contents, comprising aclient device with a communication interface; and a virtual platform,wherein the virtual platform comprises: a database and a processor,wherein the processor is configured to: receive a selection of acontent; retrieve data about the content from the database; track aposition of the content that is being provided to a user of a clientdevice; launch a reactive module of the virtual platform on the clientdevice, the reactive module being comprised of a response display unitthat playbacks responses of other users and a response input unit thatreceives a response to the content; receive an input from the clientdevice and determining based on the input whether the response displayunit should be visible or invisible to the user of the client device;open the response input unit on the client device when the responsestarts to be created; register the response in the database; receivecontent-retrieving information from a second client device; searchcontents in the database to identify a candidate to be provided to thesecond client device based on the content-retrieving information;receive from the second client device, a selection of a second contentfrom the candidate; track a position of the second content that is beingprovided on the second client device; launch the reactive module on thesecond client device; receive a second input from the second clientdevice and determining whether the response display unit should bevisible or invisible while the second content is being provided;determine when and how to display one or more components of the responseon the second client device; determine how to display the one or morecomponents of the response in the reactive module of the second clientdevice based on the second input onto the second client device andprogress of provision of the second content in relation to the timestampof the response; register a second response to the second content in thedatabase as received from the second client device; attach a secondtimestamp to the second response to indicate a position of the secondcontent at which the second response was received; determine whether ornot to stop displaying one or more components of the second response inthe reactive module of the second client device based on the secondinput, change a graphic symbol to a more conspicuous form on the seconddevice as a result of registration of the second response, wherein thecontent is identical to the second content, wherein the responsecomprises the graphic symbol, wherein the second response comprises asecond graphic symbol, and the second graphic symbol indicates anemotional reaction equal to an emotional reaction indicated by thegraphic symbol, wherein a timestamp is attached to the response toindicate a position of the content at which the user of the clientdevice reacted, wherein the response display unit is visible on thesecond client device based on the second input, wherein the secondcontent is provided asynchronously from the content, wherein thereactive module of the second client device is synchronized withprovision of the second content, wherein the timestamp and the secondtimestamp decide how to display the one or more components of theresponse and the one or more components of the second response andwherein the graphic symbol indicates emotional reaction at a position ofthe content at which the user of the client device reacted.
 3. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions to cause a processor of a virtualplatform to implement a process for recording and displaying users'response to contents, comprising: receiving a selection of a content;retrieving data about the content from the database; tracking a positionof the content that is being provided to a user of a client device;launching a reactive module of the virtual platform on the clientdevice, the reactive module being comprised of a response display unitthat playbacks responses of other users and a response input unit thatreceives a response to the content; receiving an input from the clientdevice and determining based on the input whether the response displayunit should be visible or invisible to the user of the client device;opening the response input unit on the client device when the responsestarts to be created; registering the response in the database;receiving content-retrieving information from a second client device;searching contents in the database to identify a candidate to beprovided to the second client device based on the content-retrievinginformation; receiving from the second client device, a selection of asecond content from the candidate; tracking a position of the secondcontent that is being provided on the second client device; launchingthe reactive module on the second client device; receiving a secondinput from the second client device and determining whether the responsedisplay unit should be visible or invisible while the second content isbeing provided; determining when and how to display one or morecomponents of the response on the second client device; determining howto display the one or more components of the response in the reactivemodule of the second client device based on the second input onto thesecond client device and progress of provision of the second content inrelation to the timestamp of the response; registering a second responseto the second content in the database as received from the second clientdevice; attaching a second timestamp to the second response to indicatea position of the second content at which the second response wasreceived; determining whether or not to stop displaying one or morecomponents of the second response in the reactive module of the secondclient device based on the second input, changing a graphic symbol to amore conspicuous form on the second device as a result of registrationof the second response, wherein the content is identical to the secondcontent, wherein the response comprises the graphic symbol, wherein thesecond response comprises a second graphic symbol, and the secondgraphic symbol indicates an emotional reaction equal to an emotionalreaction indicated by the graphic symbol, wherein a timestamp isattached to the response to indicate a position of the content at whichthe user of the client device reacted, wherein the response display unitis visible on the second client device based on the second input,wherein the second content is provided asynchronously from the content,wherein the reactive module of the second client device is synchronizedwith provision of the second content, wherein the timestamp and thesecond timestamp decide how to display the one or more components of theresponse and the one or more components of the second response andwherein the graphic symbol indicates emotional reaction at a position ofthe content at which the user of the client device reacted.